{"id":29440,"date":"2017-01-05T22:17:11","date_gmt":"2017-01-05T22:17:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=29440"},"modified":"2017-01-05T22:17:11","modified_gmt":"2017-01-05T22:17:11","slug":"murray-survives-as-djokovic-sails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=29440","title":{"rendered":"Murray survives as Djokovic sails"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Britain's
Britain's Andy Murray returns the ball to Austria's Gerald Melzer (unseen) during the second round of the ATP Qatar Open tennis competition in Doha on Wednesday. AFP PHOTO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

AFP, DOHA: World number one Andy Murray claimed his 26th consecutive victory on Wednesday with a battling 7-6 (8\/6), 7-5 win over Austria\u2019s Gerald Melzer to reach the Qatar Open quarter-finals.<\/p>\n

He was joined in the last-eight by second seed Novak Djokovic who eased past Horacio Zeballos 6-3, 6-4 in just 72 minutes before being stunned by his Argentine opponent\u2019s request for a selfie of the pair on court.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking a selfie, that\u2019s the first time I have had this experience in my career,\u201d said Djokovic. \u201cHoracio\u2014well done, very original.\u201d<\/p>\n

Murray\u2019s 2 hour 23 minute match proved the most exciting of the evening though, and possibly the whole tournament so far.<\/p>\n

In a 78-minute first set, Melzer, playing some inspired tennis, saved eight set points before eventually succumbing in a hard-fought tie-break.<\/p>\n

The pair traded baseline passing shots, with Melzer the world number 68, matching Murray and looking like he could bring the world number one\u2019s winning streak to an end.<\/p>\n

As the match wore on, Murray looked increasingly frustrated by his own game and some of the line calls.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was a bit lucky to get through,\u201d said Murray. \u201cHe played great, great tennis, he was winning large parts of the match.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cIt was a really good match. I was happy with how I handled it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t easy because I was having to do a lot of defending and I wasn\u2019t able to impose myself as I would\u2019ve liked.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the positive was in the important moments I stayed strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Murray will play Spain\u2019s Nicolas Almagro in the last eight. Almagro beat Germany\u2019s Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6 (7\/5), 7-6 (8\/6).<\/p>\n

Djokovic next faces 38-year-old Radek Stepanek after the Czech knocked out Belgium\u2019s Arthur De Greef, 14 years his junior, 6-3, 6-2.<\/p>\n

Stepanek is a former Wimbledon quarter-finalist who turned professional in 1996, just four years after De Greef was born.<\/p>\n

His victory means he is the oldest ATP quarter-finalist since a 42-year-old Jimmy Connors played in the 1995 Halle grass court event in Germany.<\/p>\n

Stepanek said afterwards that he would continue playing for several years and \u201cwill be fighting Jimmy Connors\u201d to make history.<\/p>\n

The number three seed Tomas Berdych beat Czech compatriot Jiri Vesely 7-6 (7\/5), 1-6, 6-1, to set up an intriguing clash with France\u2019s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who blasted past Germany\u2019s Dustin Brown 6-1, 6-3 in less than an hour.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

AFP, DOHA: World number one Andy Murray claimed his 26th consecutive victory on Wednesday with a battling 7-6 (8\/6), 7-5 win over Austria\u2019s Gerald Melzer to reach the Qatar Open quarter-finals. He was joined in the last-eight by second seed Novak Djokovic who eased past Horacio Zeballos 6-3, 6-4 in just 72 minutes before being […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":29441,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n